為信徒代求
以弗所書三章14至21節
14因此，我在父面前屈膝，
15（天上地上的各（或作：全）家，都是從他得名。）
16求他按著他豐盛的榮耀，藉著他的靈，叫你們心裡的力量剛強起來，
17使基督因你們的信，住在你們心裡，叫你們的愛心有根有基，
18能以和眾聖徒一同明白基督的愛是何等長闊高深，
19並知道這愛是過於人所能測度的，便叫神一切所充滿的，充滿了你們。
20神能照著運行在我們心裡的大力充充足足的成就一切，超過我們所求所想的。
21但願他在教會中，並在基督耶穌裡，得著榮耀，直到世世代代，永永遠遠。阿們！
信息分享
保羅在這裡為我們立下一個代求的榜樣。在保羅的書信中，有不少為其他信徒代禱的例子；在以弗所書，我們也見到兩個。保羅能夠那樣深切與深入地為信徒代求，實在令人感到驚訝。他顯然是經常熱切地為信徒代禱；反觀我們自己，又是否每天在禱告中記念別人呢？
我們為何不能像保羅一樣，經常為其他信徒代求呢？你覺得保羅的代求，對信徒來說是受用嗎？他為他們求些甚麼呢？他祈求他們能日漸成長，愈來愈像基督，並且在生活中更多體認基督的大能大力。
你可以把保羅所求的東西逐一列出來嗎？然後，再把它們帶進你為其他信徒的代禱中，你認為可以嗎？基督徒的生命，是一個不斷成長的生命，而這種成長，永遠是始自內心，所以保羅說：「叫你們心裡的力量剛強起來」。反觀我們，我們卻常為到「外體」--例如身體的毛病或物質的需要代禱。因此，當別人患病的時候，我們會熱切地為他禱告，但當他痊癒，我們卻很少再為他代求了。然而，保羅卻恆常記念信徒「心裡」的需要。
第20和21節帶給我們甚麼應許？我們豈不為此而被大大激勵？保羅指出，神的大能在我們的身上工作，祂能成就一切，遠超乎我們所求所想。這是神的偉大工作。但願我們能認真地為其他信徒內心所需要的力量代求，同時，亦為自己禱告，求神讓我們對祂在我們心中運行的能力，有更多和更深的體認。
反思：
基督徒的生命是需要成長的，那麼，我們用甚麼來餵養靈命，讓它能健康成長呢？
A PRAYER FOR CHRISTIANS TO PRAY FOR OTHER CHRISTIANS
Ephesians 3: 14 – 21
14 For this reason I bow my knees to the Father [f]of our Lord Jesus Christ,
15 from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,
16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man,
17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love,
18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height—
19 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
20 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,
21 to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
Message
Here is an example of how Paul prayed. Several of his prayers are given to us in his epistles. There are two in this letter to the Ephesians. They are wonderful in the depth of their requests. It is quite clear that Paul prayed regularly, earnestly and consistently for fellow believers. How much time do you spend in prayer each day?
Why not pray for others as Paul prayed for the Ephesian Christians? How would you say he prayed for them? What did he ask for? He asked that they might grow more like Christ and know more of his power and strength in their lives.
Could you make a list of Paul’s requests? Then could you build some of those requests into your prayers for fellow Christians? Remember our Christian life is one of growth and it always starts on the inside. What did Paul say? ‘Strengthened in the inner man.’ We often pray for the ‘outer man’ don’t we? That is for our physical bodies or for the physical needs of friends. When people are sick we pray much more for them than when they are well. Paul prayed for the ‘inner man’.
And what about the final promise in verses 20 and 21? Isn’t that a great encouragement? Paul says there is all the power of God working in you and he can do even more than you could ask or even think about. That is tremendous. Begin to pray for fellow Christians. And pray for yourself that you might know more of God’s power working in your soul, the ‘inner man’ that Paul prayed for.
A THOUGHT:
Our Christian life must grow – what have you been feeding it?